Bear Digest

Rare No. 1 pick collision is coming in Bears-Rams Divisional Round

The Bears-Rams Divisional Round features a rare matchup between No. 1 overall picks Matthew Stafford and Caleb Williams, separated by eras but meeting in the playoffs.
Bryan Perez|
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Chicago Bears

When the Chicago Bears host the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Round at Soldier Field, the matchup will have a fun wrinkle that goes beyond scheme, weather, and the chess match between Ben Johnson and Sean McVay.

It's also a meeting between two quarterbacks who entered the league as the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. And they're separated by over 15 years of football.

Matthew Stafford was selected first overall by the Detroit Lions in the 2009 NFL Draft after being crowned as an elite arm talent at the University of Georgia. Fifteen years later, the Bears used the top pick in the 2024 Draft on Caleb Williams, the former USC standout who was dubbed a generational talent.

MORE: Chicago Bears' 2025 rookie class earns impressive ranking from ESPN

The age gap between Williams and Stafford is striking. Stafford is inching really close to 38, while Williams just turned 24. It's the largest age gap between No. 1 picks to do battle in a playoff game in NFL history.

Put another way, Stafford is 5,033 days older than Williams.

Stafford enters the Divisional Round as a seasoned playoff QB. He's appeared in the postseason for both the Lions and the Rams, including a Super Bowl win in Los Angeles in 2021. His career spans rule changes, offensive revolutions, and even some rebuilding seasons.

As for Williams? His playoff resume is much shorter. He's only in his second season, and after a rookie year that was about as bad as one could get, 2025 represents the first in what Bears Nation hopes will be many playoff berths for him.

MORE: Despite breakout 2025 season, Bears face long Super Bowl odds

The Williams vs. Stafford matchup will be compelling not only because it's youth versus experience, but this kind of showdown between first overall picks from different NFL generations has never happened before.

Sunday's Divisional Round will be a postseason clash between the present (and past) in Stafford against the future in Williams.

For the Bears, that future is no longer just hope or theory. Chicago is hosting this game; Williams is hosting Stafford. The Bears' timeline has shifted. While Stafford is everything teams hope they'll get from a No. 1 overall quarterback -- the wins, the longevity, the leadership -- Williams is already proving to be that guy for the Chicago Bears.

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Bryan Perez
BRYAN PEREZ

Bryan Perez founded and operated Bears Talk, a Chicago sports blog. Prior to that, he covered the Bears for USA Today’s Bears Wire and NBC Sports Chicago. In addition to his Chicago Bears coverage, Perez is a respected member of NFL Draft media and was a past winner of The Huddle's Mock Draft competition. Bryan's past life includes time as a Northeast scout for the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks.

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